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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
FACTORS IN PROGRESS.
T H E law of the times is progress, and
every institution that is successful
carries that one word on its official envelope
every day in the year. There is no stand-
ing still in the great onward march; if a
pause is made even for a day, others who
are active will take a few strides in advance
and it requires considerable effort to over-
take them. The vantage ground can only
be reached by the most untiring efforts. It
is new ideas everywhere. It is the man
who observes the new and discards the old
who succeeds.
Trade papers play no unimportant part
in the world of progress. They to a large
degree are as stimulators of industry. They
are read largely by a thinking, intelligent
class. In this connection we reproduce a
few words from the Furniture World:
Read a good trade journal. Nothing
builds a young man up in business ideas
so much, perhaps, as a live trade paper.
The cost is merely nominal, and if your
employer be not enterprising enough to
understand its value by being a subscriber,
subscribe for one yourself. Then read it
after you get it, and digest it, and you
won't have to depend on traveling sales-
men for stale information in the future.
Because your employer or your manager
does not take a trade paper is no reason
why you should do the same. Your em-
ployer or manager probably belongs to an-
other generation, and is only thus follow-
ing up the ideas and methods peculiar to
that generation, without recognizing that
ideas and methods change with time and
that the life of a business must be renewed
in conformity with conditions as they
change from time to time.
NEEDED CHANGES.
A MATTER which is interesting some
of the thinking minds in the trade
is the present condition of piano rentals.
One distinguished firm have announced
their intention of renting no more pianos.
Others are bound to fall into line, and
some believe that the matter of renting
pianos will become materially reduced, in-
asmuch as the rental business has reached
a lower ebb than it is possible for any busi-
ness to arrive at and still float.
In other words, it has become so unprofit-
able that dealers themselves will refuse to
have anything further to do with it at pres-
ent prices.
There is another point, too, which will
come in for the serious consideration of
many during the new year, and that is the
question of selling pianos at the present
ridiculously low installment prices. There
is a belief in many parts that dealers will
adopt The Review's suggestion and devote
more energy to the securing of cash sales
and less to the installment than heretofore.
These questions are of interest, and after
all it is interest in one's business that
brings about necessary reforms. Interest
in one's business is what carbonic acid gas
is to wine; it makes it lively and sparkling.
Hehlin's Progressive Policy.
Much has been written and spoken in
recent years of the Mehlin pianos, all of
which is thoroughly well deserved ; for too
much cannot be said in favor of their
musical excellences which endear them to
the hearts of true lovers of music.
Adhering to an undeviating policy to
make only the highest grade pianos and
selling them at a commensurate price, they
have, notwithstanding the hard times
which this country has recently encoun-
tered, made steady progress upward and
onward. Their instruments are winning
recognition not only in the homes of the
leading people of this country, but in
many schools and conservatories of music
throughout the land.
It is gratifying to record the success of
Paul G. Mehlin & Sons, for worthy aims,
admirably developed, are always worthy of
commendation and support. It would be
impossible for the Mehlin house to make
anything but the best with such a past
master of piano making as Paul G. Mehlin
in charge of the construction department,
aided by his clever son Chas. H. and a cap-
able staff of workers, and with such an ex-
perienced and brainy manager of affairs in
charge of the business department as H.
Paul Mehlin.
The Mehlin firm have some surprises in
store. Paul G. Mehlin, always an origina-
tor, is not idle and some further proofs of
his ability will shortly be forth-coming.
Tramp Tuner Legislation in
Georgia.
A bill has been prepared for presentation
to the Georgia Legislature which is designed
to put an end to the tramp tuner in that
State. The general principles of the bill
make it unlawful for any person in the
State of Georgia to engage in the practice
of tuning, regulating and repairing of
pianos for a remuneration unless they have
obtained a license from the Board of Ex-
aminers which shall consist of five practical
tuners duly appointed by the Governor
from different parts of the State. This
board will meet in the City of Atlanta
every twelve months or oftener as the case
may require when examinations will be
held, licenses granted and complaints
heard. The annual fee for tuners will be
$10.00 a year and renewals $5.00 a year.
Autoharp Sale Postponed.
The receiver's sale of the autoharp fac-
tory and stock of the C. F. Zimmerman
Co., of Dolgeville, N. Y., which was to
have taken place on Nov. 28th, has been
postponed until Jan. 10th. There is some
talk of re-organization.
INVITATIONS have been issued for the
first of the Madrigal Singers concerts
at Chickering Hall on the afternoon of Dec.
6th. The singers, sixteen in number, will
be led by Mr. Frank Taft. They include
such well-known names as Mrs. A. Doug-
lass Brownlie, Miss Marie Donavin, Miss
Katharin Hilke, Mrs. H. E. Krehbiel, so-
pranos; Mrs. Adele Laeis Baldwin, Mrs.
Josephine S. Jacoby, Mrs. Elizabeth D.
Leonard, Mrs. Marian Van Duyn, con-
traltos; Mr. Charles H. Clarke, Mr. J. H.
McKinley, Mr. E. C. Towne, Mr. Theodore
Van Yorx, tenors; Mr. John C. Dempsey,
Dr. Carl E. Dufft, Mr. Charles B. Hawley,
Dr. Carl Martin, basses. They will pre-
sent a madrigal for five voices by Samuel
Wesley, Gounod's " Sweet Night Her Veil
is Spreading," Henry Leslie's "Thine
Eyes so Bright," and five dance songs by
Heinrich Hofmann. There will also be
two Schumann hunting songs for men's
voices, with a quartet of French horns, to-
gether with selections from Bach, Mozart,
Scarlatti and Greig for the pianist of the
occasion, Richard Hoffman. There has
been much interest manifested in these
madrigal concerts. They are something
quite unique in this country and Chicker-
ing & Sons are to be congratulated on their
enterprise in offering such an artistic inno-
vation to the public.
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A DISCUSSION is now in progress re-
** specting the imposition of "petits
droits" for French songs and other unim-
portant compositions in that country. The
German law, like the British, only allows
the right to impose a fine upon those who
sing French songs or perform French
pianoforte or organ pieces, in cases where
on the title-page of the work it is expressly
stated that the right of performance is re-
served. The German government has
been asked to rescind this condition, and
has refused, although it has issued a circu-
lar to publishers inviting their views on
the point. In England, after clergymen
and others engaged in charitable or benev-
olent concerts had been worried for half-
crown fines and forty shilling penalties,
the matter was some years ago made the
subject of a special act of Parliament.
X H E citizens of Greater New York con-
*• tribute annually more money to hand-
organ grinders than is spent in supporting
the Metropolitan Opera season. The fees
collected by proprietors of jingling little
organs aggregate in the course of a year
several hundred thousand dollars. These
organs are licensed by the city and their
income can be calculated.
The estimates are those of a well-known